Tong



June 15 1926.

I R. T. ROYE ET AL TONG Filed Feb. 23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W flmm s June 15 1926. 1,588,619

R. T. ROYE ET AL TONG Filed Feb. 25. .1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES ATEN- RICHARD T. ROYE AND WILLIAM L. PEARCE, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

TONG.

Application filed February 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,763.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a tong.

One object of this invention is to provide a tong of the character described specially designed for handling heavy pipe, and which will securely grip and turn said pipe and which, at the same time, may be readily released therefrom.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation, and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein I Figure 1 is a plan view of the tong.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view @thereof taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary inside view of one of the clamp members employed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the tong handle, which at one end is formed into an enlarged head 2, thus is transversely slotted, as at 3, and the arcuate clamp members 4 and 5 are fitted, at one end, into said slot, and secured therein by suitable bearing pins, as 6 and 7 The clamp member 4 is held substantially rigid, with respect to the handle 1, by means of the side links 8, 8, which are attached to said clamp member, and the handle, respectively, at their respective ends,

a through the bearing pins 9 and 10.

The free end of the clamp member 5 carries a latch 11, which is pivotally mounted on the bearing pin 12. This pin connects the outer ends of the side links 13, 13, and the other ends of these links are pivoted on the pin 14 carried by the free end of the clamp member 5.

The outer end of the latch is formed into a suitable grip, and its inner end is formed with a transverse arcuate slot 15 into which projects a stud 16, carried by one of the links, 13, to limit the range of movement of the latcl The free end of the clamp memher 4 is formed with a shoulder 17 against which the inner end ofthe latch 11 engages to hold the tong in clamping position around the pipe 18 The abutting free ends of the clamp members 4 and 5 are correspondingly shouldered, said shoulders dovetailing together to hold the ends of the clamp members more perfectly in alignment.

The inner sides of the clamp members are correspondingly cam shaped and provided with lengthwise dovetailed grooves 19, 19, and slidable on the cam shaped faces 20, 20, of said inner sides of the clamp members are the arcuate, taperingjaw carriers 21, 21, similarly arranged and provided with the long,'dovetailed ribs, or tenons 22, 22, which slide in said grooves 19, 19. Fastened to the insides of these carriers are the toothed pipe engaging jaws 23, 23. It is obvious that when the tong is engaged around the pipe and its handle manipulated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, the carriers 21 will ride upon the cam faces and cause the jaws to wedge against and grip the pipe 18. A reverse movement of the handle will release the jaws from the pipe and upon such release the pull springs 23, 23 will cause the carriers to ride back, on the cam faces 20 to their original position. These springs are attached to said carriers, at one end, and work in the grooves 24, 24, of the ribs 22, and are attached, at their other ends to the anchor blocks 25 in the grooves 19, one located at the pivoted end of one clamp and the other located at the free end of the other clamp. I

The tong, usually being very heavy, is ordinarily swung from the derrick by ropes, or chains (not shown) attached to the eyebolts 26 carried by the tong.

The anchor blocks 25 are held in fixed position by means of set screws, as 27 and consequently may be adjusted around in the grooves 19. The carriers are normally held, by the springs 23 against'their respective blocks 25, so that by the adjustment of said blocks the range of movement of said carriers, and the jaws carried thereby, may be ceive pipes of different sizes.

The links 8 not only serve to hold the clamp member 4 in fixed position relative to' the handle, but also serve to relieve the pin 6 of a part of the strain to which it would be otherwise subjected, and thus lessens the liability of said pin shearing ofi'.

It is to be further noted that the type of latch shown and described is very efiicient as well aseasily engaged and released. In engaging the latch, its inner end is swung against the shoulder 17 and the latch handle is then operated to carry the pivot 12 slightlypast the central line passing through the pivot 14 and the point of bearing of the inner end of the latch against'the shoulder 17, and the strain to which the tong is subject ed, in operation will. hold the latch engaged, but by pulling the latch handle outwardly the latch may be easily released.

\Vhat we claim is 2- 1. A tong including a handle, a pair of arcua-te clamps one clamp being rigidly at tached at one end, directly to one end of the handle and the other clamp being pivoted to said end of said handle, the inner faces of said clamp members being cam shaped, a jaw mounted to slide on each cam face said jaws and cam faces being provided, one with a groove and the other with an anchor, a pull spring located in each groove and attached,

- at one end to the corresponding jaw and at its other end, to the corresponding anchor.

2, A tong including a handle, a pair of ar cuate confronting clamps one clamp being rigidly attached at one end, toone end of the handle and the other clamp being pivoted to said-handle end, the inner faces of said clamp membersbeing cam shaped, a jaw mounted to slide on each cam face said jaws and cam faces being provided one with a groove and the other-with an anchor; a pull spring located in each groove and attached at one end to the corresponding jaw and at its other end to the corresponding anchor, said anchors being adjustable to vary the tension on said springs. a

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification.

RICHARD T. ROYE. WILLIAML. PEARCE. 

